Durham, Kawartha teachers could strike this month

Sam Hammond

DURHAM -- Parents will receive 72 hours notice to make alternate arrangements for their children if teachers go on strike in the Durham and Kawartha school boards this month.
Members of the Elementary Teachers’ Federation of Ontario are expected to go on rotating strikes throughout December in opposition to the controversial Bill 115, after president Sam Hammond made an announcement Nov. 28.
“It is unfortunate that we have been placed in the position of having to strike by Education Minister Laurel Broten, but we will provide parents with ample notice to ensure the safety of students,” he said. “By her actions, the minister has let everyone down by stripping teachers and education professionals of their democratic rights, and shutting down recent talks at the provincial level.”
He would not say which boards will be affected, or for how long, by the strikes.
Since Nov. 26, elementary teachers in the Kawartha Pine Ridge District School Board have been in a legal strike position and embarked on a work-to-rule campaign. As a result, field trips will no longer run within the board starting Monday.
Teachers in all other boards will also be in a strike position during December, including those in the Durham District School Board, starting on Dec. 10.
Bill 115 freezes teacher wages and cuts benefits, and gives local school boards and teacher unions until Dec. 31 to come up with contracts. The minister has instructed bargainers to reach new deals similar to the one the Province signed with Ontario’s Catholic elementary teachers in the summer.
The Durham board said in a posting on its website that it is “committed to sharing information with school communities as soon as it becomes available.”
A letter sent home to parents in the Kawartha board said if a strike were to occur, the board would ensure parents are aware. It also indicated that the schools would not be able to provide a safe environment for students, and the affected schools would have to close throughout a strike.
“It is not clear whether all or some of our schools would be affected, or for how long a full strike would last,” the letter said.

-- With files from Torstar news service

Related Stories

Kristen Calis covers Pickering and writes a pet column for the Metroland Media Group’s Durham Region Division. Anyone with upcoming animal charity events that they would like listed in Kristen’s Kritters can e-mail kcalis@durhamregion.com.